Federal Work Study

Many students work part-time on the K-State campus through the Federal Work-Study program to earn money for personal and educational expenses. Undergraduate and graduate students can earn Federal Work-Study funding by working on the K-State campus in Manhattan, Salina, or Olathe, Kansas. This funding is offered to students who demonstrate an exceptional amount of financial need, through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Federal Work-Study Eligibility

To be considered for a Federal Work Study award, a financial aid applicant must demonstrate significant financial need as established via a comparison of his/her Expected Family Contribution (EFC) noted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and his/her estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) as calculated by the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

In addition to the above noted eligibility criteria, the Office of Student Financial Assistance may give additional awarding priority to students who:

Have filed their FAFSA by K-State's priority date of December 1 prior to the start of the academic year and/or

Have indicated on the FAFSA an interest in work as a form of financial assistance and/or

Can demonstrate that they have secured campus employment that is predicated on federal work study funding.

If students are planning to use Federal Work-Study funding for only one semester, they should notify our office to make the necessary adjustments to their financial aid package.

Responding to a Federal Work Study Award

Before a student can begin to receive any funding from on-campus employment he/she must:

Have accepted an offered Estimated Federal Work Study award within the K-State Student Information System (KSIS) self-service.

Have secured a part-time, on-campus, federal student aid funded employment position. Students can join Handshake, the Career Center's recruiting and career services platform to search for Federal Work Study employment opportunities. Students and can use Handshake to easily connect with employers, search for jobs and internships, review career fair/event information and manage on-campus interviewing.

Student must have his/her K-State employer complete and return a Federal Work Study Position Description. Federal work study funding will not be made available to a student/employer until this form has been reviewed and accepted by the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Federal Work-Study Position Description

One of the U.S. Department of Education required obligations associated with Kansas State University's participation in the Federal Work Study program is that a complete position description be on file for each federal work-study employee.

Consequently, the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) asks that a completed Federal Work Study Position Description be submitted to the OSFA before a student may be allowed to receive Federal Work Study funding. To assist in meeting this requirement, the OSFA provides a "Sample" Federal Work Position Description (pdf).

Employers Please Note

Only after a Federal Work Study Position Description has been approved and communicated to the Division of Human Capital Services can a student's future earnings be subsidized by federal work study funds. Consequently, it is imperative that the OSFA receive a completed Federal Work Study Position Description as soon as a hiring determination has been made.